The Detroit Lions are going through a full week of practice heading into their bye, and one benefit is that quarterback Matthew Stafford will get extra work in to test and strengthen his still-healing right shoulder.

Stafford told reporters that the shoulder feels between 98 and 100 percent since the Sept. 12 injury. He remains on track to return to the lineup Oct. 31 against the Washington Redskins. If the injury impacted his velocity or arm strength, it apparently wasn't evident during practice Wednesday.

Stafford, via Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com: "I wasn't really questioning it. Once I got healthy, I knew I'd have the same arm that I've always had. I was just making sure that I was pain-free. It wasn't like a rotator [cuff] or a labrum or anything like that. It had nothing to do with the mechanics of throwing. It was an AC separation.''

Continuing around the NFC North on this fine Thursday morning:

Hard-hitting Lions safety Louis Delmas on the hits that led to $175,000 in fines around the NFL over the weekend, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press: "To be honest with you, I love them. They were great hits to me. I wouldn't pass them up. If that's what you're asking, I definitely wouldn't pass them up. I probably would have been one of those dudes that's getting fined."

Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times on the Chicago Bears' offense: "More troubling than all the sacks, blown assignments, missed blocks and goal-line failures is the sad fact that the Bears' offense hasn't appeared very well-prepared or coached for much of the season. As the Bears stagger into Week 7, reasonable explanations for why that's the case are becoming more difficult to come by."

Bears guard Roberto Garza played for three weeks with a torn meniscus in his knee, according to Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice. Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com has more.